The NASUWT and the NUT have now served notice to employers that NUT and NASUWT members in the North West of England will be called upon to take strike action on 27 June 2013 in furtherance of the dispute with the Government over pensions, pay and conditions. This escalation of action is a further step in our ongoing campaign to protect teachers and defend education.
The NUT and the NASUWT say they remain committed to resolving this dispute through negotiation but to date they say the Secretary of State, Michael Gove, has failed to engage constructively. The strike action in the North West is part of a rolling programme of strike action across England and Wales.
Chris Keates, NASUWT General Secretary, said: "Since the Coalition Government came to office the attacks on teachers' pay, pensions, working conditions and jobs have been relentless. Teachers' morale is at an all-time low. The move to strike action is a manifestation of the anger and frustration of teachers at the failure of the Government to seek to address the deep concerns of the profession."
Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said: "This is not a step that teachers take lightly, nor a course of action they would wish to pursue. The policies of this Government, however, leave them with no other choice. The proposed changes to pay, pensions and conditions will strip the profession of any security or incentive. Performance-related pay will leave head teachers in the invidious position of choosing between paying some teachers more or smaller class sizes. This is neither fair nor workable and is not in the best interest of either pupils, parents or teachers. The Government is going down entirely the wrong path for education and teachers. They need to start listening."
